Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Lee Ji Ah has declined to extend her contract with Key East Entertainment, the agency best known for its owner, Bae Yong Joon. This would put an end to her five year relationship with Key East, which began in 2007 with the MBC drama “Tae Wang Sa Shin Ki (The Legend).”

On January 11, a Key East official told OSEN, "We've finally decided not to pursue an extension with Lee Ji Ah. It wasn't about the contractual terms or monetary issues, but because both parties understood 'change' was needed."

It continued, "While under Key East, Lee Ji Ah went through a lot of issues, particularly last year lawsuit against Seo Taiji, and she was committed to restarting her actress career. From our perspective too, regardless of the contract, we wanted to support her moving forward. We wish for her success as a person or actress in the future."

Lee Ji Ah’s contract with Key East was terminated on December 31. The official said she still hasn’t found a new agency yet, and they will work together to find the best possible agency for her career. Despite getting involved in one of the most shocking scandals in Korean entertainment history, Lee Ji Ah has been able to keep her career alive, even making a comeback through MBC drama, “I’m a Flower, Too.” Industry officials largely credit Key East for making this possible, but with her decision to leave the agency, it should be interesting to see how her career pans out this year.